Mowbeon's Mightiest
by SSJBowser
Summary: With an opportunity of greateness to seize there is one with the most questionable of intent who will rise to the occassion. And with damaging results to surface it will be up to Sonic the Hedgehog, Natsu Dragneel, and Kid Flash along with their allies to set the bar straight. DCU / Fairy Tail / Super Smash Bros crossover
1. First Hand to Play

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 1**

**First Hand to Play**

_The clouds stood high, gazing down with a dark expression to show with the drizzle of rain to fall to the Earth below. It had been like this all day, a scenery of dark clouds that shielded the sun from shining bright in its place amongst the skies above__.__ The rain only picked up with each passing hour, sending down a shower the inhabitants below would not soon forget._

_But weather was the last thing on his mind, it would be one of the last things that would stop today's events from unfolding. All things were now in place, from the high priced weaponry to those who were now in position. There was only one thing that remained, to receive the go ahead call, one which came with the whisper of the wind from the eastside._

"_Now."_

_The orders had been given, all armed soldiers bounded within their exoskeleton suits leaped out from where they laid hidden. There was no stopping there, holding their weapons tight in hand as they took aim. _

"Ready, fire!" One announced.

_There was nothing spared, locking down to anything and everything that moved. The scene that erupted was catastrophic, humans and creatures gunned down alike… their screams serving as a lullaby that tuned high with the winds blowing them far. _

_He smiled from the knowledge of this from his quarters; this was a vital part in the plan, one which would bring about the finale to today's events. There was no stop to the massacre for the next minutes to come, and there wouldn't be until the nerve in question was pushed. It was with that thought that something erupted in the skies, something trailing its way to the scene with the break of the sound barrier to be heard. This was more than a delight, finding himself more joyed than he had been anticipating._

"_Yes.. it's coming."_

_There was no warning for what came next; all who equipped with armor had their weapons pulled from their grasp by an unknown force, then having themselves effortless tossed to the ground. It was with that flash of the moment that it appeared, looking to the sky directly above as it slowly levitated down toward them… seeing the outer power it possessed with the electrifying aura of purple energy that could be seen shielding the body._

_Now disarmed of their firearms all in attendance of its presence fell to their knees, a sign that they had decided to concede. This did not however stop the creature from descending all the way to the ground. It was here that the creature looked on as several tanks and battle trucks surround it on every side, blocking off all paths. But no shots were fired, what could this mean? There was little time for thought, hearing the sound of a door to one of the vehicles on their blindside open. This was quickly followed by the sound of someone clapping, turning to see a man in a three piece suit walking their way with a devilish grin to be found._

"Excellent," The man complimented with one last clap to give. "Your power is substantial, and would have expected no less."

_The creature was more than confused by this statement, having not the slightest idea of what this man spoke of._

"I knew you'd come upon hearing these humans in distress, along with… your kind," The man continued. "By now with your unique abilities I'm sure you have already come to find that no one was ever in danger, this whole set up was nothing but a means to lure you here."

_Wanting to make his stance clearer he reached down for one of the bodies lying on the ground, tearing the head from its frame to reveal it was nothing more than a sophisticated android. The creature only closed its eyes upon seeing this._

"Now that you're here and we've gotten that debacle cleared up we can now truly begin, I know of your power," The man began. "I know your one of the most formidable of your kind, the Pokemon... as they've come to address you."

_He took a breath before speaking once again._

"I'd first like to point out that my army and I are no danger to you," The man said pointing out the many that surrounded them. "We're all on the same side."

_He waited for a response, one which did not come to pass. His smirk only widened, taking the initiative of continuing on._

"Perhaps my antics for calling you here are be viewed as.. disturbing, but it was the only way I had of contacting in such a quick matter," The man in a suit of black said now taking on a more serious tone. "Here's the thing my world is on the edge of seizing to exist and soon yours will follow if we don't act soon, millions upon millions will die.. however this can be prevented if we work together, will you help me in my quest… Mewtwo?"

_The pokemon's eyes sprung wide at the mention of its name, immediately creating a link of the mind with him._

"_What is this danger you speak of_," Mewtwo inquired telepathically. "_What is so destructive about this situation that you've reached out to me in such fashion_?"

_The grin from before returned, stepping forward with something still to give._

"With any proper greeting must always come a name," The man declared. "My men address me as general, but you can call, Vandal Savage."

_With that the first step in his plan was to begin, one which would surely bringing turns of the unexpected._

…

_The sun beamed from the other ends of the mountain, marveling at the sight of it with every stride that seemingly resulted in a mile past. The cool air of the wind blew in the opposite direction of where he found himself headed, picking up in speed with the knowledge of something of urgency in the clear._

_It was with that burst of speed that the large area of plains came into view, feeling the flicker of the tall grasses tickle at his sides as he sped by with a smile to give. _

"_This is where he asked to meet, so where is he?"_

_Their eyes beamed across the plains from side to side, finally catching sight of the lone vehicle sitting in the middle of nowhere._

"_Ask and you shall receive."_

_With that thought they raced forward, reaching a small plane coated in blue paint within moments. It was also here that they came to find their fury friend and comrade standing with their eyes fixated to the skies above._

"Tails," The blue hedgehog spoke. "I'm finally here; I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long."

_His eyes fell from the obstacles of the sky with a shift in position to face the one who had arrived._

"Not at all Sonic," Tails assured. "I knew you were busy before coming, so I assumed it'd take some time before arriving."

"I got the message forwarded to me," Sonic said. "What's this urgency you wished to speak to me about?"

"It's the Chaos Emeralds."

"The Chaos Emeralds," Sonic questioned. "Did something happen to them?"

"Well if you consider them being gathered, then yes."

"What," Sonic expressed with surprise to show. "Someone's gathering the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Yes," Tails confirmed with the nod of his head. "Though I have yet to determine the who or why as of yet."

_With that he referred to a device strapped onto his wrist, pressing down to it to activate a holograph map. _

"What's this?" Sonic asked moving in close to get a clear look.

"A map of all places where each of the Chaos Emeralds registered to my radar in the past twenty four hours," Tails explained. "Four in all have already been taken from where they resided, I've been keeping tabs on each."

"Are all four that were taken located together as of now?"

_Tails nodded in confirmation._

"That makes sense then," Sonic said bringing a hand to his chin. "Since they're all together your deduction of them being gathered sounds accurate, Tails?"

"Yes?"

"Where is the closest Chaos Emerald from our current position located that has yet to be taken?"

_He took the time to survey the map set before them, quickly looking back at him after learning just that._

"Station Square," Tails replied. "Which is approximately three hundred miles from where we stand now."

"We'll get there in no time." Sonic said with an assuring grin coming to his face.

"I was thinking the same," Tails reported. "If we travel to Station Square it's only a matter of time before whoever is gathering the emeralds shows up there."

"Giving us the opportunity to confront them," Sonic concluded with the snap of a finger. "Let's get going, there's no telling what this mystery person is up to."

"Or group," Tails corrected. "We don't have an exact number for how many are involved."

"Either way," Sonic said with a look of confidence to show. "We'll be there waiting for their arrival."

_And with that bold statement stamped the beginning of their next adventure, one which they would soon come to learn wouldn't be what it appeared to be on the surface._

…_._

_After much planning and preparation there was only one thing that remained, execution. The location had been reached, all who stood on the new grounds checking all equipment to make sure nothing was damaged. This ranged from communications devices to all weaponry they found themselves traveling with. Once all was clear it was now time to focus on the given assignment. The importance of success stood high on their minds, knowing failure would not be tolerated._

"This is it, we're here." One of the six spoke.

"Yes, the coordinance on the map given to us matches what we see before us." Another said gazing to the land of green in the clear.

"We all know what needs to be done, we have only ten hours to complete our task before our power burns out," A third person spoke. "There is no doubt we've arrived at the sought location, now let's go out and apprehend the one our Chalue seeks.. the one known as Titania."

"But you still haven't shared with us where we're supposed to find this person, where do we start looking."

"The Chalue told me himself, we'll look no further than for a tribe of outlaws," He replied. "A group of outlaws who refers to themselves as, Fairy Tail."

_**To Be Continued**_


	2. It Begins

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 2**

**It Begins**

_There was no hint as to where they were going, simply following the path which was being walked by the man ahead. It was clear there was still distrust amongst the majority who followed along as well, still holding their weapons tightly with a high alert to be felt. This bothered the Pokémon very little, something that was to be expected given the circumstances that had led to this point._

_It was now closing in on ten minutes since the walk had begun, wondering just how long it would be before they reached the location that had been mentioned several minutes back. That very thought brought a sight to see, stepping around a large tree to find what appeared to be an operation site. There were several small cabins to be found along with the many battle trucks to be seen sitting in the clear._

"We're here." Vandal announced upon coming to a stop.

_The pokémon stepped up to his side before stopping as well._

"_What is this place?" Mewtwo asked._

"Isn't it obvious," Vandal said holding out a hand. "This is our base of operations; it has been for the last month or so."

"_When we spoke before you mentioned 'your world'," Mewtwo rehashed. "What did you mean by that statement?"_

"It's just as it sounds comrade," Vandal said staring him dead in the eyes. "I am not from this earth, or even from this dimension for that matter."

"_Most would find that hard to believe," Mewtwo said. "But I'm willing to see what you have to share, if there truly is a danger of the level you speak I would want no__thing more than to engage this problem."_

"Yes, perhaps after you've seen the demographics of what could very well erupt in the coming months you'll come to a high understanding as I," Vandal said as he turned back for the site. "And then you'll also see the truth of my intent."

"_Where is this information you've hinted at?"_

"Right this way," Vandal said with wave of his hand before walking once more. "We keep most resources and information processed in cabin one."

_There was no delay in the pokémon's move to follow after him, presenting another question of its own after only a couple additional steps taken._

"_You claim you traveled here from another dimension," Mewtwo began. "I'm curious as to what means were used to make your trip here a success."_

"An honest question," Vandal replied expecting that this soon would come. "A boom tube, that's what was used in my travels."

"_What is this boom tube you speak of?"_

"A highly sophisticated device to say the least, when there's a chance I'll get around to presenting it to you," Vandal promised. "But as you know we have more important matters to discuss first, the first being the major problem that we face."

"_And the other?"_

"How I came to learn of the Pokémon and why you specifically chose you above all others."

"_Yes, __I was wondering the reasoning behind that myself.__" __Mewtwo said as the two continued to walk._

"That one's simple," Vandal replied. "Because you're the only one who can help put a stop to this."

….

_There were several clouds that stood high in their stance amongst the skies, leaving the sun's shine to stare from the back corners. It was a dreary day to say the least. All goodbyes and appreciations had already been given; leaving only the course to be walked. Success was never guaranteed, failure was always a thought that lurked at the ends of the mind. There was nothing but a deep focus by this time, looking down at the reward given for a job well done__._

_The sky had hinted at it, not surprised when the first drop touched down upon her cheek with several more following in its path. The appearance of the rain barely touched the surface of her conscious, welcoming it even. The walk was now approaching two hours since she had set off, noting she had a little more than an hour to go before her destination would be reached__._

"_Almost there."_

_It was with that thought finding its way to the mind that she stopped. There was a subtle sound to be heard, and it was not that of the rain. Her stance remained the same for several moments to come, surveying the tall trees of the forest with the slow rotation of her head._

"_Is someone there?"_

_She was less than optimistic about the surrounding area, taking one small step of caution only to have it all erupt with that very move. They came from all sides without warning, lunging out from the trees above with all eyes locked on her. One swift move was made of her own, leaping high with her scarlet hair swaying opposite of where she found her body descending. The triple flip was a success, landing a few feet away from the apparent attackers who now found themselves where she had previously been standing._

"Who are you?!" The woman stamped in a commanding manner.

_There were five of them, all sporting armor and weaponry she couldn't begin to admit seeing before. The less than forthcoming response was not something she found tolerable considering the move that had just been made on her seconds prior._

"I'm only going to ask you all once more," She huffed stating her claim. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

_Silence came for the first moments, watching as one of them finally stepped forward._

"The haste and control in the way that you moved speaks volumes to us," They spoke with a calmness to be felt. "It would appear you're the one we've been searching for."

".. What?"

"Tell me, are you Erza Scarlet of Fairy Tail?"

_This brought a shock that electrified to the spine, careful as not to show this in her response._

"And what if I am?"

"Was that a yes or a no?"

"Does it matter?"

"Given your quipped response I'm going to take it that you are in fact Scarlet," The man concluded. "And since we've finally found you it's time that we let you know you'll be coming with us."

"And if I say no?"

"On the contrary, you have no say in the matter." The armored man said in response.

"Is that right?"

"The integrity in your voice speaks that of a challenge, I can almost assure you that wouldn't be the best option from your current stand."

"Oh yea, why is that?"

_He didn't say anything, simply raising his left hand with the snap of a finger. With not a second to pass another person dressed in a suit of armor, causing her heart to rise in pace after seeing what resided in their arms._

"Wendy-san.."

"It's no surprise you know this girl," He said after sighting her expression and hearing her response. "After all she holds the emblem of Fairy Tail."

"What have you done to her," Erza exclaimed. "Is she.."

"Dead, no," The man interjected. "Just unconscious, she was one of four of you accomplices we happened to cross paths with today."

"Where are they," Erza jeered with the clutch of her fist. "What did you do to them?"

"Calm your nerves Scarlet, we left them alive," He informed. "However I can't guarantee that this girl you referred to as Wendy will be for long if you don't comply with my commands."

_The rain dropped down to the top of her forehead, feeling as if everything froze within that instant. Her eyes beamed over, sighting her unconscious friend in the clutches of the enemy's possession. Seeing no other way to go about it she bowed her head._

"I concede," Erza announced. "I'll do as you say."

"Excellent, the Chalue will be overwhelmed with joy."

"Under one condition."

"Speak your point."

"Let Wendy-san go," Erza plead. "Your issue is obviously with me and not with any of my friends."

"Denied."

"What, why?"

"Leverage of course," He stated. "We need to be assured you'll do everything that is asked of you."

"What is it you exactly want from me," Erza retorted angrily. "Do you wish to take me prisoner for some kind of agenda?"

"Prisoner would be putting it far from the point, that is the last thing our Chalue would choose to impose upon you."

"Then what?"

"You'll know soon enough."

"This is a bad move on your part," Erza stated. "My friends and comrades will come looking."

"And will fail, and besides once you've learned the truth I doubt you'll have any interest in returning to this primitive land anytime soon," He said more than assured by this. "Where our travels will take us is not that of a guild, or even of this dimension, no… where we're going is beyond anyone's reach in this world."

_With that said he pressed down to a device strapped upon his wrist, one which released the brightest of light. Her eyes widened at the sight of it, feeling her body fall numb with her mind becoming lost to her as she fell forward into an unknown darkness._

…_._

_The race was now on, feeling a rise in excitement with each stride to take. He kept a limit to his speed, occasionally looking to the skies above to make sure he was keeping pace with his friend and ally._

"_Good, we're still in sync," The hedgehog thought to himself. "From the distance we've traveled I'd say we have about five minute length before we reach the destined spot."_

_He looked back to the path ahead, seeing the city in the clear. This brought a grin to his face, more than ready to tackle what was to come. There would be no room for error, both were fully aware of the power of the Chaos Emeralds and what it could mean if they fell in the wrong hands. Time was now of the essence._

_The next minutes flew by, now finding himself in the heart of the city next to a light pole. The light shined brightly, creasing its beauty across the many buildings in its line of sight. He brought a hand to the tops of his eyes, shading the brightness as much as possible to sight the descending vehicle soaring down from the skies._

"_There he is."_

_It didn't take long for the plane to touch down, making a smooth landing in an alley just up ahead. Wanting to gain an update on the matter as soon as possible he raced around the corner to see him leap out from the cockpit of the small aircraft._

"Hey Tails," Sonic said coming to his side. "What's the situation now, how far are we away from the Chaos Emerald?"

"Based on the trackers reading we're within a mile radius of the emerald." Tails replied after looking down at the device strapped upon his wrist.

"That's not far at all," Sonic said delighted to hear. "We'll be able to find and retrieve that Chaos Emerald in no time."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Tails questioned with a smile of his own to give.

"Just waiting for your word captain."

_There was nothing else that needed to be said, focusing most of his attention to the tracker as their mission commenced. They found themselves walking the streets amongst the many people, noticing the many ongoing activities, most which fell under the category of street performances._

"It has been awhile since I've been in Station Square," Sonic said bringing his hands to the back of his head. "It's good to see everything is as entertaining as always."

"That makes the both of us."

_The two walked on for several minutes, watching as the signal only got stronger by the second. This only heightened his excitement._

"How close are we now?" Sonic fretted with the tap of his.

"There." Tails pointed.

_He looked into the direction he had pointed to, finding a large building of familiarity standing tall in its stance._

"That's Station Square museum." Sonic stated.

"Most certainly not the last place I'd expect we'd find it."

"So what's the plan," Sonic asked with the rub of his hands. "I'm not sure I'm fond of the idea of going in there and straight up taking it."

"You're right," Tails said understanding fully. "That would make us burglar's, which is why we're going to go in there and strictly wait it out." 

"And then nab whoever is after the Emerald when they arrive," Sonic said catching on. "That sounds like a plan to me."

"What do you say we head in and get an exact location pin pointed?"

"After you."

_With that the two made their way over to the museum, walking right on in with the electric doors automatically sliding off to the side. They were welcomed by the cool air of the inside after stepping in, finding this to be a most appreciated comfort. There were several things to see from the get go, from ancient drawings to the expected century old dinosaur bones._

"Hey Tails," Sonic said regaining his attention. "How far his the Chaos Emerald from where we stand now?"

"Right this way." Tails delivered with a turn made for the left side.

_He followed from a short distance behind, finding himself looking on in awe at the many different things that came to his line of sight._

"_Seeing all this makes me wonder why I don't visit places like this more often."_

_It was soon after that the two approached a glass case, one which had a total of five jewels sitting inside._

"There it is," Tails pointed out. "The third one over."

"That's it alright," Sonic said having no doubt. "Now that we've noted its exact spot we should probably wait it out some place else, we might look rather suspicious if we stand here for too long."

"You make a pretty good point."

"So what did you have in mind buddy?"

"Well I haven't given that any thought," Tails admitted with a hand coming to his chin. "Let's see…"

_He found himself falling into the phase of deep thought, only to have that interrupted by a booming sound from above._

"Look out!" Sonic exclaimed as he tackled him out of the way of what came flying down.

_It was a small canister of some kind, releasing a cloud of gas which ignited several cries of the many bystanders in the museum._

"What's going on?" Tails asked.

"No idea," Sonic said instantly leaping back to his feet. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out."

_The sound of several making their way for the exit was something to be expected, not letting this distract as he witnessed a dark figure gliding down within the smoke._

"_What is that?"_

_No sooner the sound of the glass case shattering came clear to his ear__._

"_The emerald, __could they have somehow already arrived!"_

_There would be no chance in taking that risk, holding his breath as he raced through the growing fog of gas. He stopped inches shy of reaching the case, sighting someone standing atop it with their back turned to him._

"Who are you?" Sonic inquired.

_They turned with the sway of their head, locking eyes with his which sent a chilling feel down his spine. _

"_It's her…"_

_This was all too obvious on his expression, something she took pleasure in seeing._

"Hi there," She spoke with a seductive wink to give. "Never expected to run into you here Big Blue."

"Rouge," Sonic said with the clutch of his right fist. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Isn't that obvious," Rouge said holding up all five gems that were now in her possession. "I've come to collect."

"No doubt for the G.U.N organization," Sonic assumed. "Rouge we don't have time for this, I don't know if you're aware but one of those jewels you're holding right now is one of the Chaos Emeralds."

"I'm ashamed, you jumped to the conclusion I didn't do my homework."

"Listen Rouge you can't take that Chaos Emerald, someone will be coming after it." Sonic notified.

"Oh, let me guess," Rouge paused with a finger coming to her lip. "Would that person happen to be you?"

"_I should have known she wouldn't take the simple route_." _Sonic murmured to himself._

"If you want it so badly, why don't you try taking it from me?" Rouge declared in a teasing matter.

"Not exactly what I had in mind," Sonic said in response. "But you've left me with only one option."

_Before either of the two could make a move a shockwave of high proportions could be felt, one which was followed up by an explosion which sent a large portion of the ceiling crumbling down. There was little time to react, feeling her legs taken away from her as the falling pieces of the ceiling were evaded. It was only then that she realized she was in his arms, still holding tightly onto the jewels as he placed her onto her feet._

"That was close," Sonic said tracing his eyes to hers. "Are you alright?"

"That was a fabulous little dance," Rouge replied. "We should do it again sometime."

"Glad to know you're taking this whole thing as serious as I am." Sonic remarked with a sense of sarcasm to be felt.

"What, were you hoping for a reward for your services," Rouge asked leaning in with a seductive look to express. "Would a kiss be worth the charge?"

"Umm, I hate to interrupt," Tails said finally rejoining the fray. "But we might have a problem."

"What is it?" Sonic asked turning to face him.

"Up there." Tails pointed.

_The two of them looked to where the hole had been made in the ceiling, taking notice of nine dark figures staring down at them through the circulating dust from the level above._

"Who are they?" Sonic questioned.

"I was hoping Rouge might have an answer," Tails said looking her way. "Do you?"

"Not a clue," Rouge replied. "I came alone and was told there would be no back up of any kind."

"If they're not with you.. then who are they?"

"I guess we're about to find out," Sonic said with a grin inching to the surface. "Be prepared, we may now have to defend ourselves."

_This went without saying, all understanding the situation at hand all too clear._

_**To Be Continued **_


	3. New Territory

_**Mowbeon's Mightiest**_

_**Chapter 3**_

_**New Territory**_

_The three stood strong in their stance, readying themselves for what was to come next. The wait wasn't long, watching as the dark figures that hid within the mist of the dust jumped down into the museum._

"What are those things," Sonic inquired as the details of their appearance were able to be made out. "And what are they doing here?"

_They completely came into the line of sight shortly after, watching as the humanoid figures touched down to the ground._

"They're robots!" Tails exclaimed.

_It was no sooner that one of the robot's spoke, giving an obvious one attempt command._

"_Hand over the emerald now and no harm shall come to you." It spoke in a robotic tone._

"Guess that answers my question," Sonic said. "Tails, are you sure these robots aren't associated with the ones who have currently been gathering the Chaos Emeralds?"

"I'm almost certain of that," Tails replied as he looked back down at the device upon his wrist. "The radar shows whoever is currently in hold of the other Chaos Emeralds is still at a far location from here."

"Which means this is a whole nother interest all together."

"It doesn't matter either way," Rouge stated. "No one is going to get their hands on my jewels."

"We've already gone over that," Sonic reminded shuttering his eyes her way. "You can't keep that Chaos Emerald, and now with this current situation it is clear there might be some kind of hunt going for them."

"He's right," Tails agreed. "The last thing we want to do is prematurely get ourselves involved in something we have little knowledge."

"Your concerns are noted, but you both know well enough that I can take care of myself," Rouge boasted proudly. "That includes handling any unexpected situation that comes my way."

"I think you should really think about reconsidering your stance." Sonic said.

"_You three have chatted for long enough," The same robot from before interjected. "Hand over the Emerald of Chaos or else face the severe consequences."_

"I'm sure you meant Chaos Emerald." Tails corrected.

"_Silence, your words are invalid human__.__"__ The robot stomped._

_This response only resulted in him bringing a palm to his face._

"I wasn't aware an anthropomorphic fox resembled a human so closely." Tails remarked.

"_Command has not been made, ready," The robot began with the raise of its left metallic arm. "Aim… fire!"_

_All other robots in attendance did the same, taking aim before firing energy projections of some kind from their hands._

"Phew," Sonic said dodging the first line of fire. "Wasn't expecting those beams to come in with such speed."

"No kidding," Tails said upon landing at his side moments later. "I just got away by a step."

"We'll just have to be extra cautious for what is to come next," Sonic stated. "There's no telling what else these robots are capable of."

_The conversation between the two was short lived, interrupted by several blasts that came their way._

"Time to retaliate." Sonic said feeling it was now time to go on the offense.

_With that he zoomed forward, heading straight for the robots who were lined out in front of him. There was no hesitation for what came next, quickly disarming them all of their arms one by one which took very little time to accomplish._

"Now for the finishing touch."

_He accelerated in speed as he made a borderline around them all, creating a whirlwind of sorts which sent each of the robots crashing into the wall. He stopped to observe his handy work, bringing his hands to his hips with a smile falling into place._

"Not a bad job if I should say so myself."

_He then turned back for the other side to see the less than thrilled look upon her face._

"So much for team work." Rouge remarked.

"Oh sorry," Sonic apologized while bringing a hand to the back of his head. "If I had known you wanted to get in on the action I would have left one for you."

"Forget it," Rouge said. "Either way the jobs done and we no longer have to worry about them."

"Maybe so," Tails said. "But it does raise the question of who sent them, it was obvious what they were after."

"Speaking of which," Sonic said ready to get back to the matter at hand. "You need to give us the Chaos Emerald, if there's anyone who could be ready for what's to come it's Tails and myself."

"Sorry to say Big Blue," Rouge replied with an apology of her own. "But that's just not going to happen."

_Things only erupted further with that moment to pass, watching as an unexpected beam of energy flew in from the opening of the ceiling. It made impact with the ground which sent out a damaging shock, sending all three of them wailing to the ground. It was with that moment that a light of high proportions came to their sight, blinding them into the very subconscious of their own minds. There was nothing to feel or see, almost as if life itself had become lost to them._

…_._

_The day had begun with a darkened sky with a shower to bring. And though the rain had since fallen to a halt the sky remained bleak in its appearance. There was no telling what the coming hours would bring, a less than optimism that could clearly be seen upon her face as she walked the same path as any other day._

_But there was something different about this particular, something to feel from deep inside. With all the adventures that had come to pass it seemed as if there was a nother just peering around the corner, one which would be nothing like she or anyone had experienced before. Whether it be good or bad was yet to be determined. Her thoughts were broken by the sound of the nearby stream, looking that way to find no one to be currently drifting in its path. This was not surprising in the least given the current weather conditions. With nothing absolute or any hints for what was to come there was only one thing that came to her mind._

"_Just another day."_

_Several minutes had passed since her walk had begun, looking ahead to see she was now within range of reaching her destination. This brought a smile, an inner anticipation even. She hurried along from there, ready to find what the day would truly bring. The door was open upon her arrival, immediately walking in to find several of the others had already arrived. Most were engaged in conversation while others seemed to be focused on reading material that could be seen in their possession._

_She chose not to interrupt anyone, simply walking further into the room as she scoured for a seat of her own. It was in the process of this that she took notice of someone sitting at the far table on the left side of the room all by themselves. Given whom it was this came as a surprise. Curious as to what they were doing she decided to head over._

_It was with her coming within inches of reaching the table that he glimpsed up from the material laid out upon the table to face her._

"Lucy-san," He said upon watching her have a seat across from himself. "What are you doing here?"

"You sound surprised Gray-san."

"Maybe just a little," Gray admitted before setting his sights back to the paper atop the table. "I guess I wasn't expecting you'd be coming to the guild so soon."

"What's that you've got there?" Lucy asked upon placing her hands to the top of the table with an interest to show.

"A mission," Gray replied. "I've been reading over it for the past hour or so."

"Wow, that long," Lucy said expressing her surprise. "What gives, is there something you're uncertain about."

"Not an uncertainty as much as the complexity of it," Gray explained. "There's a lot of preparation that will need to be put in before I head out."

"Will you be traveling alone?" Lucy asked slightly leaning forward.

"Of course," Gray replied with an almost obvious demeanor to be heard in his voice. "This mission is better suited for only one individual as it stands."

"I see," Lucy said with a pause as she took the next moments to survey the rest of the room. ".. Hey have you seen Natsu-san or Happy around, I thought for sure they'd be with you when I arrived."

"Don't know, don't care." Gray replied before resting the side of his head into his left palm.

"_Forget I asked_." Lucy muttered.

"What about you," Gray asked shedding his eyes her way for yet another time. "I haven't seen you take on an assignment for almost a week now."

"That's the point of me being here so early today," Lucy announced. "I was hoping I could find you all together so we could go on one together."

"Sorry to disappoint," Gray apologized. "But as you can see I'm about ready to go on a solo."

"Speaking of flying solo," Lucy said easing back in her position. "Didn't Erza-san go on a quest on her own a couple days ago?"

"Now that you mention it, yes," Gray confirmed. "Word came in last night that her mission was a success, with that known fact she should have returned over an hour ago."

"Over an hour ago?" Lucy questioned with a concern to be heard.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, there's always a chance an unexpected obstacle came up during her travels," Gray acknowledged in an assuring matter. "So I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"You're right; it's probably nothing to worry about." Lucy said finding herself calmed by his words.

"Either way she should be walking through that door at any time now."

_She nodded her head in response, looking toward the doorway following this. Even with all things considered there was something staggering from deep within, an uncertainty that only brought a sense of weariness._

"_I don't know why.. but I have a bad feeling about this."_

…_._

_There was little to be felt, almost as if an electrical charge had ignited and rendered their body completely numb. This was true for most of the body as he slowly found his eyes opening. All sight was blurred, taking moments before all became clear. It was with this that he found himself to be in a field of some kind, noticing the strange light purple grasses he found himself lying upon on his stomach._

"_This place… this isn't the museum."_

_This was all too clear as he began to regain feel throughout his entire body. He shifted his head from side to side to side, relieved to sight the two of them laying unconscious not far from his position. _

"_Tails… Rouge, they're here as well," Sonic thought as he continued to observe the unfamiliar surroundings. "But where's the Chaos Emerald, and most importantly.. where are we?"_

_**To Be Continued **_


	4. Setting the Stage

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 4**

**Setting the Stage**

_The winds blew strong in the wake of them finally arriving to the location sought, one which had taken a substantial time to reach. The winds blew strong from all sides, looking down into the distance from atop the mountain they found themselves standing. To the north was a land of great green, taking in the sight of its beauty all at once. The south brought a different perspective all together, one which showcased the thrill of the currently storming oceans. They couldn't help but be taken back by the many wonders that they had come to find for the first time._

"_.. So this is Earth, my expectations have been exceeded."_

_Not a moment after having this thought come to mind did it take for a drop of wetness to be felt from above, one which was followed by a shower of sorts. They quickly came to learn that it was nothing but rain that fell from above. It was the first time a feeling such as this had been felt, finding it to be comforting even. This continued on for minutes to come, watching as a flash of lighting burned bright during the passing of this. Its presence a reminder for why they had traveled to this very planet._

"_If something is not done soon this world will seize to exist along with its many inhabitants, and that's only the beginning," They thought with the highest of doubt. "If this evil isn't met with a force of equal or above, surely the universe will be held in the balance."_

_With an obvious distress to be felt within they reached down to grab hold of something that was sitting in their pocket. It was a small orb of some kind, beginning to feed back an image that started off as a blur._

"_For tomorrow to be reached the hoister of the of the ultimate power must be informed, the boy who possess the magic of 'SHAZAM' must be found," They thought as the image finally formed in with a clarity none could deny. "Yes, this is the one... Billy Batson." _

…_.._

_There was seemingly nothing before them but an endless darkness, not having the slightest idea for where they were at within that moment. It was almost as if they were trapped within their own conscious, having not a single means of escape from what acted as an inner cage. But through it all something soared in to pull them back, a reminder… a voice. It was one of familiarity, calling to them once.. taking only a second attempt before their eyes opened._

"Levi-chan, are you alright?"

_Her eyes peered up to the one who kneeled before her, clearly able to see the concerned look upon his face._

"Natsu-kun." Levi spoke only to feel a pain in her lower back.

"She's finally awake." A more than relived voice spoke from her blind side.

_She swayed her sights that way to lay her eyes upon the blue cat who smiled in return._

"Happy, you're here as well," Levi said before turning back for the other side. "What happened?"

"We were hoping to ask you that very question," Natsu said in response. "Happy and I just happened to return from our fishing trip when we found the three of you lying here."

"Three?"

"That's right," Happy confirmed with the shake of his head. "Droy and Jet are still unconscious; you're the only one who has woken up thus far."

"Are they ok, what's their condition?" Levi inquired as she attempted to push up only to be denied by his touch.

"Stay down for a little, you probably shouldn't be doing too much moving yet," Natsu stated. "I assure you both Jet and Droy are fine, their state wasn't any more severe than yours before you awoken."

"At least tell me where they are." Levi plead in response to this.

"Right over there," Natsu replied pointing left. "No more than ten yards from where we are now."

_She needed to be sure of this, wasting no time in looking that way. It was here that she laid eyes upon them both, having what had been told to her confirmed all while hearing his voice once more._

"You're positive you don't recall what happened?" Natsu asked once more wanting to be sure on the matter.

"I'm sorry, but I really don't," Levi repeated. "You know I would never withhold anything of this nature if I could remember."

"And I never said you would," Natsu said before holding out his hand for her to grasp. "Think you can stand?"

"I will try."

_With that she accepted his hand, pulled to her feet all in one attempt. There was a clear weakness to feel, and not just physically.. but as it pertained to the amount of magic energy that could be felt from within._

"Now what?" Levi questioned.

"We'll wait for the others to come around," Natsu replied before looking their way. "Maybe then we'll get some answers for what occurred here."

_This went without saying, something that was agreed upon with no further exchange needed._

…_._

_With each passing moment brought a raise in his strength that had seemed to be zapped away within the thick of things. After moderate struggle he had finally managed to stand to his feet, continuing to scour the area of plains that spanned wide in range. The purple grass was most striking in itself, wondering if he was truly awake or in some kind of trance caused by the beam of energy they had come into contact with._

_His thoughts were cut short by the sound of movement from below, immediately looking that way to see one of them had come around. It was clear by the uncertainty in their movements that they had come to find things weren't what they seemed._

"Rouge." Sonic called which in turn got her to look his way.

"Sonic, where are we?" Rouge asked while attempting to stand to her feet as well.

"I don't know," Sonic replied. "I truly don't know."

_The next seconds were used to rehash all that had happened prior to what had brought her to this given moment, recalling everything that had happened with the highest of clarity._

"That's right," Rouge remembered with the snap of her finger. "The diamonds, the Chaos Emerald.. where are they?"

"Sorry, but I'm just as clueless as you in that regard," Sonic admitted. "When I regained consciousness after being out for who knows how long the jewels from the museum nor the Chaos Emerald were anywhere to be found."

"That's just great, and to top it off I have no idea for where we are or even how we got here," Rouge said voicing a bit of frustration. "And you obviously have nothing to say that could prove useful in explaining any of this."

"It's not my fault," Sonic laughingly said with a hand falling to the back of his head. "I was knocked out just as you were when we were hit by that energy beam."

"I hardly see how this can be viewed as a situation of humor." Rouge said crossing her arms in response to his take on the matter.

"Lighten up a little, I'm sure we'll find the answers we seek in a matter of time," Sonic said before looking back to the grounds below. "In the meantime we'll wait for Tails to awake, if there's anyone who can make sense of this whole thing it's him."

_With that said he took a seat to the grass below, getting himself comfortable for the wait ahead._

"I can't believe it, you're actually going to wait it out," Rouge said surprised by this move, intrigued even. "You waiting, I guess there's a first for everything."

"What other choice do we have," Sonic questioned. "We could go out and search the grounds that we're now clearly on, but I'd rather we do that as a group once Tails has rejoined us."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," Rouge said before looking. "Nothing wrong at all."

…

_The depths of it wreaked not only that of darkness, but one of mystery and legacy. It was a place of high monument, one not open to all to the outside world but only by a select few. The night was fast approaching, knowing the time for the next appearance to occur was only a couple hours away. No matter the time of day the surrounding area was usually relatively quiet, the only occasional sounds from the critters that hung from the ceiling throughout._

_A majority of his mind was focused on the situation at hand with the other small portion keeping set to all else that was behind within the near distance. It was this small sense of mind that picked up the presence of another._

"You can come on out, I know you're there."

_Those words sprung them from the shadows from where they stood amongst the ceiling, landing a few feet away from where they sat in front of the large computer._

"You wished to see me?"

"Yes, there's something I'd like for you to investigate Red Robin," Batman replied. "Something of notable importance."

"We're in the cave Bruce," Red Robin reminded. "Don't see the need in speaking in code while it's just the two of us."

"Come, it's time I give you a rundown of the situation at hand," Batman said getting straight to the point. "We're on a timely base so listen up."

_He did as asked, stepping up to the left side of the chair where he then gazed up to the large monitor before them._

"What is it we're looking at?" Red Robin inquired upon taking his first look.

"A map for a weapons camp that we believe to have been set up within the last twenty four hours."

"Where?"

"A location just outside of Kotzebue Alaska," Batman informed. "From the looks of things whoever is in charge of that operation seems to be preparing for a battle, to what extent is unclear at this given time."

"Any tab on where they got the weapons?"

"Yes," Batman said pleased to report. "Lex Corp."

"That came as a complete surprise," Red Robin said with an obvious sarcasm. "Any idea if top man Luther is involved in some capacity?"

"There is no evidence supporting either way." Batman replied.

"So what's the deal," Red Robin asked. "Were you hoping for me to investigate to see what additional information I could find?"

"No," Batman replied. "I want you to travel to Alaska to infiltrate the camp directly."

"What, when?"

"The travels arrangements have already been made, clearance has already been given to fly the required route," Batman said in response. "You will leave in ten minutes."

"Kind of short notice don't you think," Red robin pointed out. "And besides isn't this something Superman would want to personally investigate?"

"He already sent Superboy to sub in for him within the last thirty minutes; the Justice League including myself has bigger problems to deal with as of now," Batman replied. "Which is why we're leaving it up to you two to look into."

"Sending in the 'B' squad I see."

"The key is to investigate the situation, not to engage," Batman stated. "Staying hidden is top priority, so try not to get seen at any time."

"Won't be a problem."

"The Bat jet's ready, you can leave at any time," Batman finished. "Keep your link on, I'll be in contact to stay correlated with you on the matter."

_He nodded with a clear understanding of what was required of him. But even with all things considered there was an uneasiness of sorts to be felt inside, one which he couldn't quite describe._

…_._

_Over ten minutes had passed since arriving and there was still no change in the bad feeling that had come over her. Was there truly something to it all, would something come of this? With her mind dwindling with the thought further she finally put it aside, not wanting it to be the point for which the day would center around._

"_It's probably nothing to worry about."_

_After hammering the nail so to speak she pushed up from where she sat, finding her way to the board which wasn't far from where she stood. After reaching it she skimmed through what was to be found, quickly coming to find there was nothing of immediate interest. Regardless of her stance on the matter she knew she'd have to make a decision on something soon, knowing it was her only form of income. It was in the thought of this that someone stepped up to her right side before speaking._

"Lucy-san, have you found something that interests you?"

_She turned in response to find who now stood before her._

"Oh, it's just you Lisanna-san," Lucy said pleased to see her. "I don't recall seeing you when I came in a short time ago."

"I just walked in," Lisanna reported. "Though I must say, I didn't think this many members of the guild would be in so early."

"That was my first thought when I came in, speaking of members," Lucy said completely shifting in position to face her. "Have you seen Natsu-kun or Happy, I was almost certain they would be here when I arrived."

"I haven't seen either of them all morning, but if there's something you need from them I would try heading up to the lake."

"The lake," Lucy questioned. "Why there?"

"I overheard Natsu yesterday talking about going fishing sometime today," Lisanna replied. "So there's a good chance that's where they are right now."

"That's most certainly a possibility now that you mention it, but either way I'll be here," Lucy said in response to learning this news. "I have no plans on joining in on such activities."

_It was with those final words that she turned back for the other side, taking little time for her to make her way back to where she had sat before. She came just in time to see he was now in the process of rolling up the sheet of paper he had been looking over before._

"What are you doing," Lucy questioned after retaking her seat. "Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I think I have a good idea of how I'm going to approach this," Gray replied. "The deciding factor for success will rely strictly on execution from here on out."

"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Lucy asked once more.

"It's better this way." Gray replied keeping his position.

_With that said he stepped up from where he sat, showcasing a look of confidence only shown when assured of how the task at hand would be met. However his move for the exit was cut off at the sight of a familiar face coming into the light of things._

"Natsu." Gray said immediately upon sighting him.

_It was only then that he came to find an expression on his face that could only be compared to one which was showcased while in the face of an enemy._

"Hey Natsu," Gray called once more. "Is everything alright?"

"Makarov-sama, where is he," Natsu stamped in response with a couple steps taken forward. "We've got a serious problem."

_By this time all guild members who were currently present found their eyes looking toward._

"A problem," Lucy inquired with a concern finding its way to the surface.

"Levi-chan, Jet, and Droy were attacked." Natsu informed.

"Attacked?" Lisanna questioned with two steps taken.

"Yes, Happy is with them now just in case whoever is responsible returns."

"Are you saying you don't have the slightest idea for who might have done this?" Lucy asked after standing up from where she once sat.

"That's only touching, the surface… Wendy-san and Carla were supposedly there before Happy and I arrived as well," Natsu spoke with a pause to give. "… They're now, gone."

_This announcement seized all activity, almost as if everything had frozen with those final words escaping his lips _

"_Gone... what does he mean?" _

_This thought echoed to the back of her mind. Was this the feeling of aguish that had been felt from before? Was there some kind of unknown connection playing at hand? But most importantly, what were the details shadowing the words that had been spoken?_

_**To Be Continued**_


	5. Dead Ends

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 5**

**Dead Ends**

_It soared against the grain, flying through the wind that pushed into the opposite direction. No matter this or any other disturbance there would be no turning back. The location of choice was now within range, knowing it was only a matter of time before the destination would be reached. It was with this thought springing to mind that the radar within the aircrafts system began to ring._

"_I've arrived."_

_With this noted the grounds were scoured from the skies above, taking very little time for him to pin point a spot he deemed a solid area to land. With this a move was made for the grounds below, touching down shortly after with the slightest of bumps to be felt. Ejecting from the jet was his next move to make, landing onto the snow fed ground after leaping down._

"_Now, where is he?"_

_Before an attempt could be made to survey the area any further the sound of something softly touching down to the ground from behind caused him to look that way, surprised at who he came to find._

"Raven, what are you doing here?"

"I was under the impression you would be expecting my appearance here."

"I was told Superboy would be the one assisting me on this mission," Red Robin said in response. "Not once did Batman mention you."

"He wasn't the one who brought this matter to my attention." Raven informed.

"If not him, then who?"

_Before a response could be given a streak of air brushed past from behind, indicating that someone had appeared. Not wanting to remain in the dark on who it was he turned just in time to receive the thumbs up._

"Kid Flash on the scene."

"Bart, what are you doing here?"

"Not cool 'R'," Kid Flash exclaimed with the cross of his arms. "You just breached the ultimate secrecy of all, the mask of the secret identity."

"I'm pretty sure we're not being watched." Red Robin said almost certain of this.

"But what if we are?"

"Enough about that," Red Robin said pushing past the point. "What are you doing here?"

"The same as you," Kid Flash replied while uncrossing his arms. "I'm here to assistance you in infiltrating the weapons base just up ahead."

"Who sent you?"

"Well, I'm actually kind of a sub in," Kid Flash brought to the clear. "It was Superboy who gave the call, giving me all needed details in the process."

"I see," Red Robin said coming to an understanding. "You mentioned you're a sub in, am I right in assuming Kon won't be joining us?"

"Yep," Bart confirmed with the nod of his head. "Apparently he got caught up in something in Metropolis, something he and Superman are handling as we speak."

"So he called for you to come in his place, most certainly not the first person I'd expect for him to contact," Red Robin admitted before turning back to face Raven. "And how was it you learned of this matter?"

"Another check on your blind," Kid Flash announced regaining his attention. "I was the one who called her."

"Is that right?" Red Robin said looking back to face him.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make in a timely fashion," Kid Flash admitted. "Being that I was in the middle of something at the time Superboy passed over the assignment to me."

"Never mind that, no need for you to explain yourself," Red Robin stated. "And since we're all here we can now commence."

"I flew over the base of interest while on my way," Raven reported. "From the distance measured I'd say a walk from here to there would take roughly twenty minutes."

"Walk," Kid Flash laughingly remarked. "Why waste the time in pacing ourselves, I could be in and out of that place before anyone gives the thought of lifting a finger."

"Perhaps that would be an idea if we were after something in particular, that's not the case here," Red Robin reminded. "Our objective is to infiltrate and learn as much about the situation surrounding these weapons as we can."

"Loud and clear," Kid Flash said giving him the thumbs up. "So what happens after that is accomplished?"

"Best not to assume success until it has come to pass," Red Robin warned. "And to answer your question, I'm first going to share all that we learn with Batman, if any further moves are to be made after that is complete, we'll plot it out accordingly."

"So.. it's one of these kind of missions." Kid Flash said with the slouch of his shoulders.

"I'm not even going to ask what that's supposed to mean."

"Before we move on I'd like to know your plan of approach," Raven said. "What will be our first move to make?"

"That will be decided once the site is in view," Red Robin replied. "That will give me the chance to really assess the situation before we make our first move."

"Works for me." Kid Flash said taking a step forward.

"Alright then," Red Robin said turning for the north side. "Our mission begins now."

_And with nothing further needing to be said the three set off, having no idea as to what would come to pass in the coming minutes._

…

_All had been informed on the matter as to what had happened. There was only one of the bunch who took off to head back to the scene, wanting immediate answers on the matter. It was here that he came to find their lying bodies, having all that had been spoken of confirmed before his very eyes._

"Gray, you're here," Happy said delighted to see him. "Where's Natsu and the others?"

"They're still at the guild." Gray said marching forward.

_After coming within inches of reaching he finally came to notice her lying there with her catching sight of him as well._

"Levi-chan, are you alright?" Gray asked with an obvious concern to hear.

"Better compared to the past minutes." Levi replied as she watched him kneel down to her side.

_He looked up ahead to find both Jet and Droy still unconscious, a sight that only angered him more. Even still he kept his composure as he looked down to look her straight in the eyes._

"Talk to me," Gray said slightly leaning forward. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't know," Levi replied. "I had never seen the people who attacked us until today."

"People," Gray questioned. "There was more than one attacker?"

_She nodded her head in confirmation._

"I see," Gray said with a brief pause. "Tell me about their appearance, was there anything distinctive about these individuals you can tell me?"

"Don't you think that's a lot of questions to ask of her in such a short amount of time," Happy inquired. "Considering the circumstances I think it would be best if we let her rest for a little while longer."

"I understand what you mean," Gray said looking his way. "But at the same time the sooner we're able to profile the attackers, the sooner we can let everyone else in on it, thus preventing any further surprise attacks."

"Now when you put it that way it kind of makes sense." Happy acknowledged.

_Feeling his point had clearly had been given across he turned back to face her once again. _

"Levi-chan, I have one last question I'd like to ask of you," Gray said. "The people who attacked, do you have any idea as to what direction they took off into?"

_Before a response could be given the sound of footsteps approaching from behind served as an interruption, one which was enough to get him to turn around to see the two of them racing toward him._

"Natsu, Lucy-san," Gray questioned. "Where's Makarov-sama and the others?"

"The rest of the guild are in search of him as we speak," Lucy replied. "We followed you just in case the attackers unexpectedly returned."

"You know as they say, strength in numbers," Natsu said. "And in this case we wouldn't want to leave a scenario like that solely on your hands."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gray asked now standing back to his feet. 

"Let's not go there you two," Lucy said taking a step in between them. "The last thing we need right now is to be arguing among ourselves, and besides there might be more to this than what we are aware of."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked with a look her way.

"Don't either of you find it a little strange," Lucy questioned. "With something like this occurring and Erza has yet to return from her mission?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"What if her absence has something to do with the same group who attacked Jet-san and the others?"

"I doubt it," Natsu said in response to this idea. "The only reason Erza isn't here is because she hasn't returned from her latest mission."

"Yes, one which she completed a while ago, she should have returned by now," Gray stated. "Lucy-san might be onto something."

_With that said he looked back down at Levi who clearly had been following along with everything that had been spoken between the three of them._

"I know you were knocked unconscious," Gray spoke. "But do you have any idea for which direction the attackers might have gone after departing?"

"I can't say for sure," Levi replied with the shake of her head. "But I can tell which direction they appeared from."

_She closed this off with the point of her finger which hopefully would be a reveal in itself._

"That's east from here," Natsu said with the clutch of his fist. "Which means that's where I'm going."

_Without warning he took charge, racing into the direction he hoped would provide answers._

"Natsu, wait!" Lucy called in the wake of this.

_There was no stopping him, taking only seconds for him to vanish after passing by a set of trees._

"No way he should be traveling alone under these conditions," Gray said with a move of his own to be made. "I'm going after him."

"Not you too!" Lucy stated as she watched another of her comrades take off.

_It was with those next seconds that a decision was made on her part, taking a deep breath before looking his way._

"Happy, stay here and look after Levi-chan and the others," Lucy instructed. "I'm going to go follow Gray and Natsu, there's no telling who or what they'll encounter out there."

"What, me," Happy exclaimed. "Why do I have to stay here and stand guard?"

"This is as important a task as any other," Lucy stated before turning for the forest ahead. "I promise I'll return as soon as I can."

_With those final words barely escaping her lips she found herself in full stride on the path that awaited. She paced herself with every step to take, not wanting to completely tire herself out. There would be no stopping, losing count of how much time had passed since beginning to run. With every step took her past another streak of grass, noting the many trees that were passed on both sides. But even with a solid path kept there was still no sign of the two of them._

"_How come I can't see them, no way those two could have gotten that far ahead."_

_It was with that thought coming to mind that she leapt past a large bush to see the two of them just ahead, taking only moments for them to sight her as well. There move to give upon seeing her was one that came as a high surprise, watching as the two frantically waved their hands from side to side as if to warn her not to proceed any further. Her momentum was too great, feeling as her leg got tangled with a branch from below which sent her rolling._

_By the time she regained herself she glanced up to see the two of them standing over with a less than thrilled look to be found._

"Great," Natsu said voicing his displeasure. "That makes three of us now."

"What," Lucy asked while standing to her feet. "I don't understand?"

"We've been had." Gray said choosing to be the one to report.

"What do you mean?"

"We're currently trapped within a magical barrier of some kind."

"What?!"

_Wanting to confirm this for herself she made a move for the direction she had come, finding that she couldn't proceed any further past only a couple of steps._

"You're right," Lucy said turning back to face the two. "But what does this mean, some kind of trap."

"No doubt set up by the guys who attacked members of our guild." Natsu said.

"We can be sure of that," Gray said. "This could be unrelated all together for all we know."

"How far does this barrier span out?" Lucy asked.

"About five yards in each direction, that's what I've been able to make of it," Gray replied. "We wouldn't have been in this mess had Natsu not taken off like that."

"So this is my fault now?!" Natsu yelled leaning in toward him.

"How is it not," Gray retaliated in return. "Had you not taken off with nothing little as a warning we wouldn't be in this predicament."

"Step aside!" Natsu commanded.

"Why," Gray asked while complying with his wishes. "What are you going to do?"

_That became clear with his next move to make, raising his hands before placing one over the other in front of his mouth._

"Natsu, no!" Lucy yelped.

_It was already too late, releasing the high voltage of flames with one phrase to give._

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

_With that the inside of the barrier was filled with flames, the last sight any of the three would see before completely blanking out._

…_.._

_He had been in the lead since beginning, glimpsing back at the two every so often to make sure none were falling behind. It was with his sights focusing back to what was ahead that a voice from behind could be heard._

"Hey I don't mean to disturb this very rare occasion of silence, but are we almost there," Kid Flash questioned. "I feel like we've been walking for days… ok, maybe a little bit exaggeration."

_When nothing was given in response he spoke once more._

"Hello, anybody listening?"

"We're here." Red Robin finally replied.

_They made their way up a small hill, careful as not to slip from all the snow under foot. The top was reached in little time, now able to look to the far grounds below to see the base in questions. There were several small structures to be found. It was almost as if they had come upon a small village. There was only one thing missing, something which took only a mere seconds to get pointed out._

"Umm, where are all the people?" Kid Flash questioned.

"I was wondering that very thing." Red Robin said while in the process of surveying the grounds with the use of the zooming system within his mask.

"Think they might be in those shacks?"

"A possibility," Red Robin replied before looking over his shoulder. "Raven can you feel the presence of anyone from the site below?"

"I cannot," Raven replied with the shake of her head. "It's like there's something holding down my senses."

"That's less than inspiring to hear."

"What now?" Kid Flash asked.

_There was nothing immediate he could think of to respond with, simply staring back to the weapons site below as if an answer would be given to him. A sudden ring sparked within his ear at that given moment, alerting him of an incoming call which he took no time in taking._

"_The radar indicates you have arrived, what's the situation?"_

"Batman, there might be more to this than what was seen on the surface," Red Robin reported. "The base, it doesn't appear anyone is here."

"_Can you confirm this?"_

"Not completely, but even Raven can't seem to pick anything up from the surrounding area."

"_Raven?"_

"That's another story in itself," Red Robin sidestepped. "With that said, what do you propose we should do next?"

"_You'll do nothing but wait."_

"What?"

"_I've been monitoring the situation from here, and it would seem a magical boundary of some kind was set up around the site itself in the last minute__,__"__ Batman informed. "This might be the reason for the disturbances."_

"If that was the case then why didn't you just say so?"

"_I wanted to hear your assessment on the matter first."_

"You said before you wanted us to wait it out."

"_Yes," Batman confirmed. "I've sent someone your way that should be able to help you figure out the nature of this magical boarder."_

"Who, Zatanna?"

"_Wasn't able to get in contact with her."_

"That can only mean you've sent John Constantine."

"_Would have been the next option," Batman acknowledged. "But no, the person who's on their way is now is one of the League's most powerful, in more ways than one."_

"I see… so you chose to send him."

"_He'll get the job done.. sit tight, he__'__ll be there soon enough__.__"_

"Loud and clear."

"_Batman out."_

_The transmission came to an end with those last line of words, turning back to face his allies to clearly see they awaited what he had to share._

"Who was that you were talking with?" Kid Flash asked.

"I thought that one would have been obvious."

"What did he say?" Raven asked.

"Backup," Red Robin replied. "He has sent someone to assist us with this."

"Who?" Raven inquired.

_He turned back for the site before releasing one name for them to hear._

"Shazam."

**To Be Continued**


	6. Sparks the Beginning

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 6**

**Sparks the Beginning **

_With all greetings already made all that remained was to put everything into perspective. Where they were now headed was anyone's guess. They had walked for almost a minute, only stopping after reaching an empty space that was to be found in between two of the shacks found on the base. This stop brought a grin to his lips, pressing down to the piece in his ear before speaking._

"We're here, open the chamber."

_With that announcement to make the ground feet away from where they stood began to open, revealing a facility within the ground that spanned fifteen yards in length._

"This is it," Vandal Savage said glancing over his shoulder. "This is where we've been operating from for the past five weeks."

"_You've__ put a lot of time into all of this__." Mewtwo acknowledged._

"Let us not stop here," Vandal Savage said looking downward. "What do you say we continue our journey further?"

_The pokémon simply nodded in response, curious as to what the depths below would reveal. With nothing further the two began their descend down the long fleet of stairs, guided by the lights set in place along both sides of the wall. After walking down past the eighth step the entry door closed. This posed no distraction, taking very little time for the bottom of the stairs to be reached. It was here that Mewtwo came to truly discover the lengths that were being taken to handle this spoken of 'agenda'. The area was massive, even more so than anticipated._

_On the right resided a large station which was occupied by many who were currently working on the computers that were sitting atop the many desks. The left was checked next, sighting several different life sized humanoid metallic apparent soldiers. Resting above them all upon the wall was one of the largest computer monitors the pokémon had ever seen. What was currently being displayed on the screen was another question in itself._

"So, what do you think," Vandal Savage asked with pride. "Is this what you had imagined you would come to find?"

"_No, not entirely,__" Mewtwo admitted__. "Though, I must say I'm curious about something."_

"I'm willing to answer any question that you might have."

"_Those sophisticated robots there," Mewtwo pointed. "What purpose will they serve in all of this?"_

"They will only be used as a defensive mechanism if it comes to it, that I can assure," Vandal Savage convinced. "And considering the situation we currently face it's likely that these droids will be used at some point."

"_I see."_

"Before we continue on is there any other questions that you might have for me, certainly that's not all you wished to ask?"

"_I am interested in knowing the l__evel in threat that we're facing, and why you've chosen to seek my aid specifically," Mewtwo replied. "Both which I assume you plan on covering soon enough."_

"Yes, to answer those questions with the highest of clarity is to first present the situation in full," Vandal Savage said. "Something which will be covered soon enough."

_The pokémon had nothing further to add, falling silent from that point forward._

"Then if you have nothing further to add," Vandal Savage said throwing his hands high. "Then let us begin."

…..

_The purple streaks of grass swayed in proportion with the winds that blew. Not once losing a step in the rhythm that played. How much time had passed since finding themselves in this predicament was anyone's guess. By now the anxiety was beginning to kick in, starting off with the light tap of his left foot which gradually picked up in speed with the seconds to pass._

"_Boy, how I hate to be kept waiting."_

_The displeasure on his face was another sign. His antics would soon come to grab the attention of another, clearly finding this to be an annoyance._

"Would you stop tapping your foot," Rouge asked crossing her arms while looking his way. "It's becoming rather annoying."

"How else am I supposed to help pass the time," Sonic questioned from the log he sat upon. "All this waiting is killing me."

"Then why don't you go and have a look around," Rouge suggested. "That could benefit us all if we knew what to expect before moving on from this point."

"I've already decided that I'm going to wait for Tails to awake before any moves are made," Sonic said with his foot finally coming to a stop. "The last thing we can afford is to get separated in a place we have little to no knowledge about."

"I stand corrected," Rouge said. "But even still the longer we stand around here the further along whoever took the chaos emerald could be."

"True," Sonic agreed. "But rushing the search is futile given the circumstances, the fact we have no idea where to begin searching supports my argument."

"That's two on the day, another point well taken."

_The next moment brought a subtle sound from below, one which was just loud enough to grab the attention of them both. Finally, there was movement to note from their lying comrade. With this seen he quickly rushed to his right side to further access the situation._

"Tails," Sonic said shaking his friend once. "You alright buddy?"

_His eyes opened at the mention of his name, slowly pushing up from where he laid before looking him directly in the eye__._

"Sonic," Tails spoke in a woozy matter before surveying the surrounding plane. "Where are we?"

"We have yet to figure that one out," Sonic admittedly reported laying a hand upon his shoulder. "We were hoping you might be able to help answer that for us all."

"What, me?"

"That device of yours," Rouge said rejoining the fray. "The one strapped on your wrist, perhaps that could at least give us a clue as to where we are."

"You're right," Sonic said turning her way. "Why didn't I think of that?"

_With that very idea being presented he focused his sights down to the device strapped to his wrist, shaking his head as he looked back up with news to report._

"Nonfunctional," Tails informed. "Either we're out of range or there's no wireless signal at this place all together."

"Or perhaps your device is broken," Rouges said adding another possibility. "What about the Chaos Emerald, do you still have the capability to track it?"

"Same connection, all service falls under the same filed," Tails explained. "And without a signal of any kind there is no way of locking onto the emerald."

"I feared that much," Sonic said sliding his hand back down to his side. "But enough about that, how are you feeling?"

"A little tired I suppose."

"Too tired to travel?"

"Not even with level one weights attached." Tails remarked.

"Then it's settled." Sonic declared looking to the fields ahead with the rub of his hands. "Our journey begins now."

…

_Minutes passed from the time the last line of conversation came to an end. The longer the wait, the more impatient he became. This impatience was soon brought to the attention of the others as he began to tap his right foot within the snow, flowing in rhythm as if he was attempting to create a musical beat._

"What are you doing?" Red Robin asked looking at him directly with an obvious irritation to display.

"Keeping the pump waxed in." Kid Flash replied proceeding on with the ongoing activity.

"I'm not even going to ask what that's supposed," Red Robin said. "But for the sake of not distracting from the mission at hand I'm going to kindly ask you to stop."

"What mission, we haven't really even started yet."

"You're missing the point."

"Red Robin's right, our focus should strictly be on the mission," Raven agreed. "Now's not the time to detract ourselves with side acts."

"Waiting with the added element of standing in the cold isn't exactly a favorable combination," Kid Flash said. "What do you expect me to do at a time like this?"

_Their discussion was brought to an end by the sound of something gliding down at whooping speeds from up above. All three looked to the sky to find who it was, watching as he touched down with the smoothest of landings._

"I came as soon as I got the call, hopefully I can be of assistance."

"We're pleased to have your services, Shazam." Red Robin noted.

"So much for stealth," Kid Flash remarked. "I could have been another mile away and heard you coming."

"Ignore him," Red Robin said. "So what is it you were told about the situation?"

"I was told that you were preparing to infiltrate a weapons base only to learn that it's currently shielded by a magical boarder of some kind."

"One which was just placed up in the last hour according to Batman," Red Robin added. "The who and for what purpose is unclear as of yet."

"That clears things up a bit," Shazam said upon learning this. "And have any attempts been made to move in on the base in question."

"We were instructed to wait for your arrival before taking any such action." Raven informed.

"And now that you're here we can now put an axe on this wait," Kid Flash commented stretching his left arm. "Don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for some action."

"I hope by action you mean by staying unseen at all times during this operation." Red Robin said looking to him once more.

"Oh yea, infiltration." Kid Flash said bummed by the thought of it.

"Now that we're all here, I say we get on to why we're here."

"Agreed," Shazam said. "I assume the facility just past the edge here is the one we were sent here to investigate."

"Yes."

"You said no moves have been made to close in, have you been keeping an eye on the activities that have been conspiring from up here?"

"That's the thing," Kid Flash said. "There's nothing or no one to spy on."

"And nor was I able to detect anyone through telepathy," Raven added. "It seems as if the site below is completely empty of all life."

"Strange," Shazam reported. "Even with my enhanced hearing there's nothing to pick up, you'd at least think there'd be a conversation or two being carried on."

"Less talking, more infiltrating." Kid Flash announced with his waiting meter reaching its limit.

"Kid Flash, wait." Shazam called watching as he vanished with a streak of dust left in the wake.

"Didn't see that coming." Red Robin admitted.

"We better follow him," Shazam said making the call. "Just make sure you both move with caution."

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

_There was nothing more that needed to be detailed with words, all three racing into the direction where the site awaited them. There was no doubt or hesitation, there was one task and one alone. One lunge was all it took, finding himself gracefully gliding down to the heart of the site. After descending halfway down Kid Flash came back into view, gazing up at the three at as they came soaring down._

"I checked all shacks and tents," Kid Flash reported as the three touched down. "It's just as we expected, there's no one here."

"What, are you sure?" Shazam inquired.

"He's right, I can't sense the presence of any others," Raven backed. "There's no one here, no one but us."

….

_The search was now on. After almost an hour without as little as a word from any of them there was cause for the action now being taken._

_With every stride brought them closer in range to where they might have gone. This path had been pointed out, his senses only confirming this is the way they had gone. But this wasn't the only thing that was picked up, there was scent of another. Who it could be was an endless possibility, one which sparked an anticipation. Could it be a new enemy? It was certainly a possibility._

_These thoughts were interrupted by the one who flew at his side in proportion with every move made._

"I'm certain they went this way, I was watching the whole time," Happy maintained. "I'm just surprised we haven't caught up to them yet, it makes you wonder how far they went."

"No need to second guess yourself," Gajeel said in response. "I've already honed in on all three of their scents, they definitely went this way."

_It was more than likely, no, it was a certainty. There was no doubt in his mind this was the direction for which they had traveled. What was to be picked up of the three of them only heightened with each passing moment. The two reached a large bush soon after, moving past it which brought them to where he was sure all questions would fall to an end__._

"This is it," Gajeel expressed taking only a couple steps more. "This is where the trail comes to an end."

"What, I don't see anyone," Happy spoke expressing his confusion. "Where are they?"

"That's a really good question."

"Maybe they already returned and happened to circle by us on their way back," Happy posed. "No doubt they've probably already run into one of the other groups in search of them."

"I don't think so, I would have smelled them had that been the case," Gajeel said. "But that does beg the question, if the trail ends at this point.. then why aren't they here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Time to report what we've learned to the old man," Gajeel decided. "If there's anyone who might be able to make sense of this it's him... _at least I hope_."

_Though he didn't choose to admit to it he knew deep down there was more to this._

"_It's not only those three, Wendy and Erza-san were here at some point as well, their scent couldn't be any more distinctive__,__"__ Gajeel thought in mind more than sure of this. "What could have conspired here, and more importantly.. where are they all now?"_

…..

_There was no denying it, there was a single person to be heard, nor to be felt. It was almost as if they had walked in on an abandoned site._

"It doesn't make sense, why would anyone leave this entire site unguarded if what they're doing here holds any importance." Shazam questioned.

"I was thinking the same," Red Robin said with a doubt crawling in. "Perhaps I should contact Batman and see if there's anything additional he can add from his end."

"Not yet," Shazam said in response. "I'd first like to have a solid look around."

"I was looking to suggest the same," Raven agreed. "We can't really know the dynamics of the situation unless we've searched in full."

"Then it's settled," Shazam said laying down a foot. "Stay close and attentive, the last thing we need is to be caught off guard by anything unexpected."

_It was now clear what the operation required of them. All conversation was dropped from this point going forward, knowing that their focus needed to be strictly on the lookout for anything that may help shed some light on this less than forthcoming situation._

_The stroll around the base started off as any other, taking everything into account walked past from the parked automobiles to the firearms that could be seen attached to a nearby clothes line. It was that secondary discovery that he found to be rather odd, something that was quickly brushed off while continuing to press on._

"I don't like this," Shazam said coming to a halt in affect causing all others to do the same. "Given the circumstances I'm beginning to wonder if this is some kind of trap."

"You totally read my mind." Kid Flash sided.

"Not as much of a trap as some would depict more as convenience." An unknown male voice spoke from behind.

_This resulted in the four looking that way to find an individual now standing before them, one who were a red skull mask with a purple cloak that covered their entire body to hide their appearance even further. There was a staff to be found in their left hand, one which had a green gem of some kind attached to the top._

"_The energy coming from this person, it's so dark." Raven thought to herself._

"Now that I have everyone's attention what do you say we proceed?" He asked in a kind manner.

"Who are you?" Red Robin asked right off the bat.

"Hmm, that's a really good question," The stranger replied pausing at the posed question. "Boneface, yes, we'll go with that."

"How original." Kid Flash remarked.

"Says the child who simply tagged 'kid' onto the front of his name to associate himself with one of Earth's elite."

"What.. you know who I am?"

"No need to set it so short, I know who all of you are," Boneface declared taking a step toward them. "But there's only one of you that has my interest."

"What are you talking about," Red Robin asked. "And who sent you?"

"Why I'm here and who sent me is none of your concern boy," Boneface provoked before turning his sights elsewhere. "It's you that I want, you're the human that holds the power of 'shazam'… isn't that right Batson Billy?"

"How do you know my name?"

"Now's not the time for questioning." Boneface said stamping down the staff held in hand.

_This was followed with an alarming affect._

"I… I can't move." Shazam said after attempting to do so.

"That's the power of the Quiltar," Boneface noted. "Its source rivals even that of your own, but enough about that you and I are going on a little trip."

_His words were closed off with the raise of the staff, a clear indication he was readying himself for another move to be made._

"Kid Flash, quick," Red Robin commended as he leaped forward. "Grab hold of that staff."

"Too late!" Boneface declared touching base with the ground once more.

_This ignited a booming sound no one could dare deny hearing, tacked on with a blinding flash of light that found its way to all eyes that stared in its wake. This very moment sparked the true beginning of a journey, one which they would soon come to learn the full extent of._

_**To Be Continued**_


	7. A Dip into the Unknown

**Mowbeon's Mightiest**

**Chapter 7**

**A Dip into the Unknown**

_It was all so blinding, almost as if her sight had been taken away from her completely, one which came with a sputtering ring in both ears. This was obviously a side effect which had come after staring into the depths of what had erupted moments prior, feeling as the effects gradually began to wear off. The staggering ring dropped first, gazing directly ahead as her sight slowly came back into the fold._

_It started off as shadows, each one growingly turning into shapes. Before she knew it all was clear once again, finding herself standing in the same spot she had been before facing the light. All was exactly the same.. except for one drastic difference, where was everyone else? She immediately shifted her head from left to right, turning around completely to come to the ultimate conclusion._

"_Shazam, Kid Flash.. Red Robin, they're all gone."_

_Their presence couldn't be felt either, only furthering the mystery behind where they could have gone. It was with this damaging uncertainty in mind that a ring came from the com link in her ear, a sound which gave the slightest of hopes._

"_Raven, can you hear me.. report."_

"Batman," Raven inquired. "Is that you?"

"_Yes."_

"How did you get my.."

"_Let's skip the small talk," Batman said with an obvious point in mind. "Your communication device is the only one giving off a signal, what happened to the others?"_

"I.. I don't know."

"_What do you mean you don't know?"_

"Well, at least not entirely," Raven explained. "We were engaged by someone none of us had heard of before let alone seen before."

"_This person, did they give a name?"_

"Boneface, that's what he referred to himself as," Raven replied. "Clearly something he made up in the moment of things."

"_What conspired in the last moments before the others went missing?"_

"There was this staff that he held," Raven began. "One which he used to release a blinding light, it took several seconds for me to recover."

"_And then?"_

"They were all gone," Raven answered. "Including the one who declared himself to be Boneface."

"_Don't make any moves," Batman instructed. "The last thing we need is for something to happen to you as well."_

"Do you plan on sending someone?"

"_No," Batman replied. "I'm coming myself, sit tight."_

_Before anything further could be spoken on the matter the transmission came to an end, leaving her with the return of the silence that had resulted in the wake of it all. She began to quarrel with her inner thoughts once again, with only one thing in mind._

"_Where are they?"_

_She found herself looking from one side to the other, laying her eyes on the empty camp before her, ranging from the many constructs to the countable vehicles that resided in the area. The instruction not to travel away from where she stood was now shrinking thin, knowing that every second that passed could be a growing gap between her and the others._

_This was something she couldn't stand for. But what was she to do; there was no sign to what really happened, let alone any hints to where they could possibly be now. With much building into the tops of her mind the sound of something lightly touching down from behind drove a dagger in all thought._

"I'm too late." One with a mellow voice announced.

_She spun at the unfamiliarity in tone, coming to lock eyes on yet another person she had never seen before. It was a woman, one who wore a full body dark violet cloak. The appearance of her face could not be made out due to the hood hanging over. This development resulted in her stepping forward, posing the question any other would have asked if put in the same situation._

"Who are you?" Raven inquired.

_The woman standing before did not reply, simply turning for the opposite side as if she hadn't heard a word that had been spoken._

"Time is of the essence, if I am to awaken all eyes to the true Chalue I must hurry."

_None of what she spoke made any sense from her side of things, marching toward her in hopes of gaining_ _insight on what it was she spoke of._

"Who are you," Raven asked once more. "And what is this Chalue you speak of?"

_There was still no answer given, continuing forward until coming within inches of reaching her. It was here that she reached a hand out, placing onto her left shoulder in hopes of provoking a response._

"What are you doing here, and who are you?"

_This attempt was met by the woman hidden behind the hood finally turning to face her, locking in with a pair of frost blue eyes that seemingly froze all in place, paralyzed from everything that stood outside of the connection that had been made. And without being fully conscious of it, all fell blank to the mind._

…_.._

_There was nothing but darkness to be found in all directions, a sight many would not hope to come to find upon taking their first look after being under for a time. But above all, where was she? There was no real way of knowing, nothing but a complete darkness occupied by only that of a complete silence._

_Everything felt twisted in some weird way, a feeling that couldn't quite be described. It was at this given moment she tried moving her legs, only to find that they were bound together by unknown means. This only caused a raise in concern, now attempting to move her hands to learn that they were tied together behind her back. A dizziness ensued shortly after, one which came with a growing visual painting in mind of the current circumstance. This time she tried moving her entire body to make a shocking discovery._

"_I… I can't move."_

_With another attempt made and the unorthodox feel in position she came to a shocking discovery as she swayed from side to side._

"_Am I hanging upside down?"_

_It couldn't be any more obvious, playing her hand at calling out to anyone who could hear only to learn there was a tape across her lips. Doubt began to sink in at this point, leaving her less optimistic than ever before. This however was lifted away by the sound of a voice from a distance from the right, one of familiarity._

"Did you find one that is big enough for us to use?"

"Most certainly, I don't see why this one shouldn't," Another spoke. "Give your spark a shot."

"You bet."

_Her eyes fell into the vicinity of where the voices carried, witnessing as a flame came to life within seconds after hearing the announcement. The voices were no longer faceless, clearly able to see the two who stood no more than ten feet away from where she hung. It was now or never in her mind, wiggling away in hopes of gaining the attention of the others which was accomplished in little time._

"What was that," The individual in possession of the torch questioned as they turned with the extend of the torch in hand. "Some kind of creature?"

_The two immediately took notice of her, bringing a comment in the wake._

"Hey look Gray, that kind of looks like Lucy-san don't you think?" The wielder of the torch questioned.

"Maybe because it is her you idiot."

_A light battering between the two ensued as they paved their way toward her, bringing it all to a halt after reaching her side. The tape upon her mouth was carefully removed, allowing for her to communicate once again._

"Natsu, Gray," Lucy said more than delighted to see the two of them. "Where are we, and what's going on?"

"We're still trying to figure that out on both fronts, something we'll hopefully gain some answers on once we cut you down," Gray replied before looking his way. "Hey Natsu grab hold of her head while I cut her loose, that way she won't fall to the ground once the rope is cut.."

"Have you already forgotten about the torch?" Natsu reminded holding it high.

"It's called using your free hand," Gray countered. "Now if you don't have any relevant objections to bring to the table, I'd like to get this over with so we can get a move on."

"That makes the two of us."

_With an agreement reached they proceeded with the set agenda. He constructed a sharp object using his ice magic, cutting her free with little difficulty which allowed her to stand back on her two feet. Those first seconds came as an unexpected surprise, dizzily finding herself falling for the ground below. It was only after contact was made that the two looked to one another in astonishment._

"Why didn't you catch her?"

"Me," Gray questioned. "I thought you were going to be the one to do it."

"Have you already forgotten about the torch?" Natsu declared shoving it out to within inches of his face.

"I'm ok," Lucy announced quickly getting back to her feet. "Just a little dizzy is all."

"That'll happen to you when you're upside down for so long," Gray said looking to her once more. "We suffered from the same side effects after getting free ourselves."

"You two were left hanging upside down as well?"

"Yes," Gray confirmed. "However, the who and why we were placed in that position is still unknown."

"Forget that," Natsu said adding his input. "Where are we, and how did we get here?"

"He's right," Lucy agreed. "The last thing I can recall was the three of us getting caught up in some magical barrier while on our search for whoever attacked members of our guild."

"Which resulted in Natsu's boneheaded move in attempting to try and crack the barrier with one of his own attacks." Gray added.

"What would you have had me do," Natsu asked. "Sit around and do nothing?"

"Yes."

"And what good would that have done?"

"I don't know," Gray replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Maybe someone with the skill set to shut down that barrier might have come along and set us free, just a thought."

"Enough," Lucy said stepping in between the two. "We should be figuring out where we are, and a way out."

"She's right," Natsu said with the sway of the torch toward the left side to see a rock solid wall. "If I didn't know any better I'd say we're in a cave of some kind."

_This thought was only reinforced after raising the light of flame to the air to site the ceiling a good distance._

"We have two directions to choose from," Gray said after noting both options. "Either we go straight, or back that way."

"Which do you think we should choose?" Lucy asked.

"Straight." Natsu announced with a tone of confidence.

"How can you be so sure of this?"

"The air currents," Natsu claimed. "The air is at its freshest coming from that direction."

"Hard to argue against that," Lucy said upon learning this. "Rarely is your nose ever wrong."

"Then it's settled." Gray agreed.

"I'll lead the way," Natsu said holding out the torch with a grin falling into place. "Now what do you guys say we get out here?"

_This went without saying, both following his lead with those first steps taken. But even with a set path being taken she couldn't help but have an uncertainty in mind, a doubt which she couldn't completely hone in on._

"_I don't have a good feeling about this."_

…_._

_Hours had passed since the initial instruction had been given. And within that time the first stage in the plan had already succeeded. He couldn't be any more pleased__.__ The sound of approaching footsteps from the other side of the wall couldn't be any clearer, something that didn't come as a surprise. _

_A knock came at the door on the far side of the room from where he sat, immediately speaking upon hearing this._

"It is unlocked, you may step through."

_The visitor standing on the other side accepted the invitation, stepping past the door before kneeling down before the one they had come to see._

"My dear Chalue, you asked to see?"

"Yes.. it is time, bring her to me," The man sitting behind the darkness instructed. "It is time that our sweet Titania learns the truth, about everything."

**To Be Continued**


End file.
